Mary's Take

"The demand for so-called 'nonsectarian' prayer is merely a euphemism declaring that prayers will be acceptable only so long as they censor Christian beliefs."

Mr. Jones says some progress is being made. The 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, for instance, directed the secretaries of the Navy and Air Force to rescind 2006 guidelines preventing chaplains from praying according to their own faith and conscience in public venues.

GETTING IN THE ACT

In the company of senatorial hopeful Al Franken, Washington lawyer Sandra Robinson traded one consumer-advocate gavel for another, beginning her term as president of the Civil Justice Foundation on the heels of being president of Public Justice.

In her final official act in the latter post, she presided over an annual gala featuring a keynote address by Mr. Franken, the actor and satirist-turned-2008 Democratic candidate for senator from Minnesota. In support of Public Justice, Mr. Franken auctioned autographed copies of his books and his own freehand map of the 48 contiguous states (no doubt colored blue).

"The only thing missing from the celebration was former wrestling champion and Minnesota Governor Jesse 'the Body' Ventura," noted Jack Olender of the Washington malpractice law firm Jack H. Olender & Associates, where Ms. Robinson hangs her hat.